


The Wishing Lanterns

by AelinElentiya



Series: The 100 [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Tangled (2010) References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-05-19 16:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5974516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AelinElentiya/pseuds/AelinElentiya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Inspired by the scene in “Tangled” with Rapunzel and Flynn surrounded by lanterns. Also loosely inspired by the Chinese Lantern Festivals) </p><p>It’s the Spring Solstice, and Bellamy learns of a very important Grounder tradition called the Festival of Lights (the releasing of lanterns into the sky). With just a little help from Lincoln, Bellamy sets to work preparing the perfect romantic evening with a special surprise at the end for Clarke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wishing Lanterns

**Author's Note:**

> To celebrate the Chinese New Year, I thought I would post a cute little Bellarke fic inspired by the Lantern Festivals.  
> What actually inspired this fic however was the “I See The Light” scene in Tangled, and this is a spin on that.  
> It’s very adorable and cutesy and I hope you all enjoy Bellamy the romantic. 
> 
> Also there is a kind of major spoiler for 3.03, involving one new character. The other referenced character death is only a prediction/possible outcome of that character’s fate, so please don’t jump down my throat about that.

The Wishing Lantern  
The 100  
by AelinElentiya 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the wishing lanterns

 

It started because of Lincoln, actually. With their new peace treaty with the Grounders after becoming the thirteenth clan, the Skaikru were introduced to a bunch of new traditions that Grounders took part in every year. They had already celebrated the Harvest, the Mid-Winter Feast, and now the Spring Solstice, the celebration of new beginnings.  
But the Spring Solstice, as Lincoln is quick to explain to Bellamy, is much different than the Harvest or the Mid-Winter Feast. The Spring Solstice is usually a grand party, many people enjoying the opportunity to come out of what was essentially hibernation. The winter had been harsh and difficult. They’d lost a few people from an influenza epidemic that had spread in the beginning of the winter, but they counted themselves lucky. Now that winter is over, and there isn’t the constant of war breathing down their necks, they’re all able to relax and breathe a little, and it’s nice.  
“So, this Spring Solstice,” Bellamy says to Lincoln. The two of them are on Guard duty for the afternoon, and they’re watching the gate. “What sort of traditions are involved here? You said it’s traditional?”  
“We have adopted many traditions over the years,” Lincoln says. “But only one is special to the Spring Solstice. We call it the Festival of Lights. Each year, every man, woman and child releases a lantern into the sky, and it lights the sky up like a thousand stars for miles and miles. The lantern symbolizes good luck. Some believe if you wish on the lantern, the spirits in Heaven will receive it. Most people prefer to think that the lantern symbolizes the release of worries and burdens.”  
Bellamy gets an idea immediately. “Good luck, you say?” He asks.  
“So they say,” Lincoln says. He frowns at him. “Why? You have a look on your face. You have an idea, don’t you?”  
Glancing around to make sure no one’s listening, Bellamy tells Lincoln under his breath the plan that had popped into his head. Lincoln’s frown is even deeper when he finishes. “So? Do you think it’d work?” Bellamy asks.  
“I don’t know,” Lincoln says. “That depends. It would have to be executed very well. You would have to make it romantic.”  
“I can do romantic,” Bellamy says. “I think she’ll totally love it.”  
Lincoln shakes his head. “I assume you want it to be just the two of you? Perhaps with a good view of the releasing of lanterns?” He asks.  
“That’d be nice, yeah,” Bellamy says.  
Lincoln sighs, his forehead creased like he’s thinking very hard. “I know a place,” he says. “It would definitely be romantic. Perfect place for a confession.”  
“Great,” Bellamy says. “Also. I’m probably going to need one of the lanterns. I know you said people usually have their own, but if it was our lantern, I think it would get the point across fairly well, yeah?”  
“At weddings, they do this sometimes. Release a single lantern together. It is to symbolize the joining of two souls. As you release it to the Heavens, your souls will then be united in the after life,” Lincoln says. “You could tell her that. It’s romantic.”  
“Good idea,” Bellamy says. He has to wonder if Lincoln tried any of that with Octavia, but he really doesn’t want to know. “Okay. So. I need a plan of action.”  
Lincoln smiles, and proceeds to tell Bellamy the location of the perfect romantic spot.  
This is going to work, Bellamy thinks. It has to. 

 

~*~

 

They’ve been climbing up the steep hill for hours, and Clarke’s legs are killing her and her lower back is in desperate need of a massage, but Bellamy’s refusing to tell her where they’re going. It’s nearly sunset, too, which means it will be dark before they know it. Clarke doesn’t like being surprised, and she doesn’t like being kept in the dark about something.  
But Bellamy had pulled her aside earlier that afternoon from helping setting up for the Solstice celebrations tonight, and asked her to come with him, and she’d followed without even a second’s hesitation.  
Now she’s beginning to regret it, as sweat beads on her forehead and drips down her neck. “Will you please just tell me where we’re going?” She huffs, falling into step beside him.  
“Nope,” Bellamy says. It gives her some satisfaction to see that his curls are damp with sweat, too. “You’ll see when we get there.”  
“Did you find more guns or something?” She tries.  
He laughs. “No. No guns,” he says.  
“Bell,” she sighs. “It’s nearly sunset. And once the sun sets, it’ll get dark fast. We don’t have weapons. Going back in the dark unarmed isn’t safe.”  
“I know it’s almost sunset,” he says. “And I am armed. I know it’ll be dark by the time we head back. Do you really think I’d be that stupid as to go unarmed? I’m not about to put you in danger like that.”  
He lifts his shirt so she can see the small handgun clipped to his belt. “Oh,” she says. She bites her lip. “But...”  
“Hey. Look at me,” he says. She does. “Just trust me, okay? I promise that you’re totally going to love this.”  
“Fine,” she says, defeatedly. She does trust him. She’s just not the kind of person who deals well with having no idea what’s happening. She likes a schedule.  
She tries to guess where he might be taking her, what lies atop this hillside, but she comes up with nothing good. They slip back into silence again, but she desperately searches for something to say. She’s barely had the chance to spend time with him at all—let alone just the two of them—in the four months she’s been back, and there’s still so much she wants to say to him, and she doesn’t want to spend the time she does have with him in an uncomfortable and awkward silence. Apparently, he is thinking the same thing, because he’s the one who breaks it.  
“So. How do you like teaching so far?”  
She smiles in relief. “I love it. It’s great,” she says. “I’m surprised, sometimes, how much I love it. I never thought I was teacher material, you know. I was so sure that I’d be a doctor like my Mom.”  
“I think it’s good for you,” he says. “Teaching, I mean. You’re great at it. You don’t seem strung out and exhausted all the time, like you’re about to fall over. I noticed that before. That being a Healer was stressing you out.”  
“It did stress me out. Especially when it was just me. The responsibility of looking after everyone’s wellbeing, of trying to keep everyone alive was too much” she admits. It’s the first time she’s ever said this out loud and it’s like a small weight is lifted from her shoulders when she says it, and she doesn’t feel guilty about it. “I mean, I had to do it, obviously, since I was the only one of us with proper medical training, until the Ark came down. But it was so hard, and terrifying. First I had to save Jasper, and then everyone got sick and I couldn’t do anything to stop it, then Finn... and then Raven... And it was just way too much pressure, too much responsibility. I’m glad that I don’t have to deal with it anymore.”  
“You did a great job,” he says. “Without you, I’m sure a lot of us would’ve been dead. I certainly would’ve been dead. But I’m glad you like being a teacher. The kids love you.”  
She smiles. “I’m still kind of amazed that they listen to me at all,” she says. “I mean, especially the older kids. I’m only like a few years younger than some of them.”  
“Yeah, but you’re Clarke Griffin. You’re kind of famous around here,” he says. “After the mountain, it took a while, but eventually people started coming to me for advice. Kane would ask my opinion on things. They started to trust me, listen to what I had to say. It was weird. It’s still weird. To be respected like that.”  
“Well, they respect that we’ve been on Earth longest and understand it better than they do,” she says. “It’s nice not to have to worry about war with the Grounders, though. We’re finally really free of all threats.”  
“Sometimes, I still can’t believe that. It feels like we spent so long fighting the Grounders, and it’s hard to believe that we’re at peace now,” he says. “Some part of me keeps waiting for something to happen.”  
“Nothing will happen. If anyone even tries anything, they’ll be killed. Lexa’s orders were perfectly clear,” she says. “I don’t think anyone would dare cross her. Anymore. She’s proved that she’s a ruthless leader when she has to be.”  
They both shudder, both remembering how Lexa sliced through Roan when she learned he was a traitor for Queen Nia. “She’s scary, sure,” Bellamy says. “And I respect that she’s the Commander and all. But I won’t forgive her for what she did to you.”  
“Bell,” she says softly. “Lexa broke my heart, but I was the one who was stupid enough to believe she actually cared about me. She only ever used me to get what she wanted. Even now, I’m still just a pawn to her. A piece in her political puzzle. Why do you think I refuse to be the ambassador for our people when it comes to her? I won’t let her use me like a puppet. Besides, I’m not a leader anymore.”  
“That’s not true,” he says. “You’re still my partner. I have a position on the Council, and so would you, if you wanted it. But either way, you’re still my partner, Clarke. You and I... We’re still the delinquents leader. They look up to us as leaders, not Kane or anyone else. You and me. And it’s always going to be that way.”  
“I know,” she says. “But really, Bellamy. After Mount Weather, you were the one who pulled through. I had nothing to do with any of it. It’s because of you that they all kept going, because of you that Arkadia is what it is now. Because of you that our people were able to truly make a home here.”  
“Well, I didn’t do all of it,” he says, looking a bit embarrassed. “And the only reason I was able to pull through at all was because of Gena.”  
His tone softens at the name and she takes his hand. She hadn’t known Gena, but from what she’d heard, from Raven and the others, she was a good person and had deserved better. “Hey. I’m sorry,” she says, softly.  
“Me, too,” he says. He takes a deep breath. “I just wish I’d gotten to say goodbye, you know? That I could’ve buried her properly.”  
“I know,” she says.  
He squeezes her hand. They don’t speak for a few minutes, but he doesn’t let go of her hand as they continue trudging up the hillside. She doesn’t want to pull it away, either, she realizes. She likes the feel of his hand in hers. He’s never held her hand before—not like this—but she likes it. Even if it does scare her to admit why.  
Finally, they reach the top of the hill, and Clarke gasps. The hilltop over looks a beautiful, green valley below. She can see some kind of body of water in the distance, but there are trees and trees for miles. The sun has just begun to sink below the horizon, casting the world in a beautiful red-orange glow. She’d give anything to have a paintbrush right now, to be able to take a photo and keep it forever. This is the kind of image she wants to lock away in her mind for the rest of her life.  
And Bellamy, it seems, had been planning this for a while. A blanket has been laid out, and there’s a covered basket sitting at the corner of the blanket. There are even candles, she notices. It almost looks as if Bellamy is trying to be romantic.  
“Wow,” she says, finally.  
Bellamy smiles—looking relieved but also strangely nervous. “The Grounders call it Solis Hill,” he says. “Apparently it has a beautiful view of the sunset. Lincoln told me about it. Apparently, you can see the stars for miles up here at night. It’s so clear.”  
“It’s beautiful,” she says. It seems like a pretty romantic spot to take someone, but she doesn’t say anything. “Why did you take me here?”  
“Well. You must know that today is the Spring Solstice,” he says. She nods. “Apparently, the Grounders have a tradition that only happens on the Spring Solstice. But I’m not saying anymore. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”  
“What kind of tradition?” She asks. No one had mentioned any kind of special tradition to her, which is surprising. She’s usually kept informed about those kind of things, especially if they all have to partake in it.  
“You’ll see,” he says. “It’s going to be a surprise. While the rest of our people are celebrating with the Grounders, you and I have a celebration of our own planned. And I have a feeling you’re going to like what I have in mind much better.”  
She likes the way you and I sounds far more than she wants to admit. “Oh? And you’re pretty sure of that, are you?”

“I am, actually,” he says, grinning. “And. Okay. I know you were looking forward to the celebrations with everyone—I know you worked hard to help set up, and you probably wanted to see all your hard work pay off. But. I wanted to celebrate with just the two of us. I know that sounds incredibly selfish of me.”  
To her surprise, Bellamy’s blushing. She smiles. “To tell you the truth, I wasn’t in the mood for a huge party anyway,” she says. “And I’d much rather spend the time with you.”  
The last bit slips out without her meaning to, and she feels her cheeks warm, and quickly looks away, embarrassed. “Me, too,” he says. “And the Grounders have this very special tradition that you’ll see later, and according to Lincoln, we’ll have the best viewing spot.”  
“You know, I don’t like it much when you’re secretive with me,” she says. “But I suppose I’ll let you surprise me just this once. So. Did you bring food?”  
“Of course I did. That basket’s not just there for decoration,” he says, rolling his eyes. “C’mon. We’re having a picnic.”  
She grins, and they settle down onto the blanket. Bellamy starts pulling several containers and tin-foil wrapped items and placing them between them, along with a wine glasses, plates and silverware.  
“Wow,” she says again when he takes out the wine. “A candlelit dinner on a hillside, complete with wine? If I didn’t know any better, Blake, I’d say you were trying to woo me.”  
Bellamy freezes in the midst of pouring the wine. He recovers so quickly that she might’ve completely missed it, if she hadn’t been paying attention. “Well. We might not be at the actual feast, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have our own celebration,” he says.  
She laughs. “It looks great, Bell. I was only teasing,” she says. Though she kind of wishes that he was, and that this was a date.  
He smiles, a bit uneasily, and hands her the glass of wine. “To an evening full of surprises,” he says.  
The glasses clink together and she takes a sip of the wine. She’s surprised that it’s the decent wine, the kind they use on special occasions, and she can’t help but wonder how on earth he was able to get ahold of it. It was kept under lock and key.  
But she pushes the thought away. It’s a nice gesture that he would go to such lengths to make the evening perfect, complete with good wine, and it would ruin it if she knew how he managed it. So she keeps her mouth shut and they start eating.  
The view is absolutely stunning and it’s hard not to find herself really relaxing around him. They keep the conversations light, straying from too serious conversations, and, for the first time in a long time, Bellamy and Clarke soon find themselves laughing with ease, without a worry in the world on their minds. 

~*~

 

Sometime after the sun had set completely, their stomachs were full and the candles were flickering steadily around them. They’d moved further onto the blanket after their plates had been put away, and they sit now with their shoulders nearly touching. Despite her efforts, Bellamy keeps saying to “just wait”, and that she’ll see why he brought her here soon.  
But it’s been almost an hour or more, and she’s watching like he told her, but nothing’s happening yet.  
“The stars do look pretty from here,” she admits finally. She has a cup of warm cider clasped in her hand and takes a sip as she looks up at the stars. “There’s so many, and I don’t remember ever seeing them so clear.”  
“They are pretty,” he says. “This is a perfect spot for stargazing. I bet you could see a hundred shooting stars here.”  
She smiles. “Too bad my wish never came true,” she says.  
“What did you—” he begins, but he doesn’t finish the sentence, because something suddenly distracts him. “There! Clarke, look.”  
She follows his gaze, and her mouth drops open. All at once, something begins to happen in the trees below. At first, Clarke thinks there’s a forest fire, but then she realizes that the flames are floating upwards.  
“Oh!” she gasps, standing up. “What is that?”  
Bellamy grins. “The Grounders call it the Festival of Lights. They’re lanterns,” he explains. “When they release them, they make a wish and send them into the sky. Kind of like wishing on a star. Some people tie letters to them, believing that the lanterns reach Heaven and that the spirits of their loved ones will read them.”  
“They’re beautiful,” she says.  
On instinct, she moves closer to the edge of the hill, so she can get a better look. She watches, completely transfixed by the sight below. There has to be at least a thousand or more of these glowing lanterns, and they’re all floating upward. Up, up, up into the sky. They light up the forest below like little stars, and they come from all different directions. She notices that there are lanterns coming from the direction of Arkadia as well.  
She hasn’t realized that Bellamy has moved, but suddenly, he has tapped her shoulder. She turns around to look at him, and her eyes go wide.  
He has a white paper lantern in his hand, with the letters C+B painted on it inside of a heart. “Wh—Is that ours?” She asks, breathlessly, excited.  
“I had it specially made. I couldn’t show you the view without bringing one of our own,” he says.  
“Bellamy. It’s beautiful,” she says. “It even has our initials.” She’s a little embarrassed by the fact that she starts to tear up.  
“It’s just a lantern, Princess,” he says, but she thinks his voice sounds a bit uneven, too. He even looks flustered. But he holds out his hand, and they walk to the edge of the hilltop together. “S-Shall I do the honours?” He asks.  
“Please,” she says. Her heart’s pounding in her chest, and she’s incredibly aware of his hand around hers.  
He pulls out the lighter he used to light the candles earlier, flicks it once, and then lights the coil inside. The lantern glows steadily, like it has a candle inside of it. “On three, and don’t forget to make a wish,” he says. She holds onto a piece of the lantern. “One,” he says.  
Clarke has never wished harder in her life. “Two. And three.”  
Then they release the lantern. She watches in awe as it floats out toward the other lanterns. Bellamy hasn’t let go of her other hand yet, but she doesn’t want him to.  
“Thank you,” she says finally, when the lantern disappears out of her line of sight.  
He clears his throat. “It’s not a big deal,” he says. “I just... I wanted you to have a good view, that’s all. I wanted to make it special.”  
“Bellamy,” she says, the corners of her mouth turning into a smile. “That’s the most thoughtful and beautiful thing anyone’s ever done for me.”  
He looks at her, finally. There’s something in his eyes that she thinks—that she knows—she’s seen before, but now, she can’t deny it. She can’t pretend she doesn’t know what it means. “You know,” he says, hesitantly. “Grounders say the lantern brings good luck. That they mean new beginnings. And I guess they release them at wedding sometimes. It symbolizes the joining of two souls, and by releasing it to the Heavens, it means your souls will then be united in the after life.”  
She inches closer to him without even realizing it. “Really,” she says. She sees him swallow. “What did you wish for, Bellamy?” She half-whispers. Her heart is pounding, and her stomach is swarming with butterflies, but she’s so sure of what she wants.  
“You first,” he breathes.  
She kisses him. It happens fast and instinctively, before she really grasps what she’s doing. But the second their lips meet, heat surges through her veins and she feels something inside her come alive. And he kisses her back, soft but forceful and full of passion.  
He wraps his arm around her waist, yanking her closer to him. Somehow, they manage not to fall off the edge of the hill, and he spins her around and they walk backward. They trip over the blanket, and the kiss breaks. She lands on top of him with a small oomph.  
“D-does that answer your question?” She asks breathlessly.  
He looks up at her, and it’s like he's seeing her for the first time. There’s a light in his eyes that she hasn’t seen in a long time, and his cheeks are flushed. “N-not really,” he says. “If your wish was to kiss me, then you certainly got your wish.”  
“I did want to kiss you. But that wasn’t my wish,” she says. She takes a deep breath. “Bellamy. You have to know by now... that I don’t think of you as just my friend or partner anymore. I haven’t for a while. I guess... I guess I was too afraid to admit it until now.”  
He brushes a strand of hair from her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb, and doesn’t answer for a moment, his expression thoughtful. “Yours is the light by which my spirit’s born—you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars,” he whispers. She knows he’s quoting something, but she doesn’t know what it is. “Clarke... I know what a life without you in it is like, and I don’t ever want to live without you again. And sometimes, it scares me, just how much I love you. But I do. I love you. I love you more than you can ever begin to realize. I would walk through hell and back if I had to, just to be with you.”  
She exhales in relief, closing her eyes for a brief moment. When she opens them again, a tear slides down her cheek. “I love you, too,” she says, and he smiles. “God. It’s crazy how much I love you. I would rather die than have to live without you.”  
He kisses her, and this time, it ignites fireworks inside her. And Clarke decides then that she means it. She will never let him go again.  
And every year after on their anniversary, Clarke and Bellamy release a lantern into the sky, as a reminder of what brought them together and a reminder that sometimes, wishes do come true, after all.


End file.
